Chapter 118

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Selina quirked a corner of her lips, admiring her freshly finished manicure as she rose gracefully. "Alright, Lydia, time for me to greet our guest and have some fun." "Okay."

By the time Selina reached the living room, Lauren was pacing anxiously, a bundle of nerves. Seeing Selina, she rushed forward as if she’d spotted a lifesaver, reaching for Selina’s hand, but Selina smoothly avoided her without a word. "Lauren, if you have something to say, say it. Don't tug at me and ruin my fresh manicure."

Lauren began tentatively, almost pleading. "Selina, I know my daughter was at fault, but we are family. Can't you just not pressure Trevon to kick Madelyn out of the Hudson family?" Selina let out a cold laugh. "You remember we're family now? I seem to recall you and Madelyn lording it over me before. And when you tried to ruin my reputation, did you consider me Trevon's wife?"

"All the wrongs are Madelyn's fault, I admit. But she's still a child; she doesn't understand!"

"The first time I've ever seen a twenty-year-old child. She's legally an adult, and it's time she took responsibility for her actions. I've let my husband handle this. If you want to beg for mercy, go talk to him." Selina then instructed Devin to show Lauren out.

Realizing there would be no sympathy from Selina, Lauren clutched her purse tightly, resentment etched on her face. "Selina, don't you gloat! I won't let this go easily."

Without turning, Selina responded coolly, "Lauren, safe travels. No need for me to walk you out."

Once Lauren left, Devin, vaguely aware of the situation, approached Selina with a word of caution: "Looks like Mrs. Lauren Hudson is about to play her trump card."

"Trevon's biological mother? I heard she remarried a foreigner and settled abroad. Let her play whatever card she has. I trust my husband will handle it fairly."

Trevon returned home later that evening and joined Selina for dinner, discussing the expulsion of Christina and Madelyn from the Hudson family.

"Wow, honey, you sure move fast. Not only did you reveal yourself as Angel, but you also found out it was Madelyn who bought the troll accounts against you. You really are…" Trevon trailed off, considering how addictive it was to uncover Selina’s secret identities, even those she herself didn’t know.

"No biggie," Selina replied. Madelyn's clumsy schemes were child's play; she'd uncovered the truth effortlessly. Continuing to serve the meal, she added, "Come, honey, you've had a tough day. Try the shrimp I peeled for you."

"It's me who should be taking care of you, after the sweet surprise you've given me." Trevon peeled a lobster for Selina – fresh, flown in that day, and prepared by a five-star chef – so tender it practically melted in their mouths.

Then, an inconvenient phone call interrupted. Trevon frowned slightly; he usually silenced his business phone during dinner with Selina. If someone was calling now, it had to be on his private line. Seeing the caller ID, he wasn't surprised and turned off his phone.

"You're not going to answer your mom?" Selina noticed.

"I've made up my mind. My wife isn't someone just anyone can mess with. As for Christina and Madelyn, I already gave them a chance out of family loyalty. It's their loss for not cherishing it."

"Whoa, boyfriend power is off the charts! But what if your mom thinks I'm the bad influence, and she comes back just to cause me trouble?"

Selina looked at Trevon with feigned worry. He simply touched her head with a smile. "Do what you want, don't worry about me. I trust you."

Selina's face lit up. "That's all I needed to hear, babe."

Trevon's gaze turned sultry. "Talking about how you pretended to be a guy when you were Angel, even saying you were into men…"

Patting herself on the back, Selina burst out laughing. "I was just having a bit of wicked fun. But I always knew my hero could handle it. You answered perfectly, a hundred points!"

"My dear, I prefer actions speak louder than words. Why don't we give that a real try? Hmm?"

"Yikes! Honey, I just remembered I have a package I forgot to open. I'll be upstairs. Bye for now." Before Trevon could react, Selina dashed off.

Trevon was left standing there, burning with unfulfilled desire, shaking his head helplessly. Married to such a wife who wouldn't feed the flame, tonight was bound to be another sleepless one.

Days flew by. Selina focused on self-improvement, working out, paying no mind to the brewing storm. It was as if she were an onlooker, casually snacking on popcorn from the sidelines. With the intervention of the Insight Group and others who preferred Selina not become too famous, the situation gradually calmed down. Internet trends are fleeting.

Derrick called Selina. "Congrats, Selina… or should I say, Angel. Your design passed Cartier's final review, and it'll be crafted and launched as Cartier's Summer Starlight Limited Edition at top speed. They're using your name, but the promotion will focus on Angel. Your decision to reveal your alias, coupled with your two latest creations, has skyrocketed Brilliance's popularity. You've saved us at least five years of work."

A world-class jewelry designer could indeed have such a monumental impact, not to mention the elusive Angel, who, having garnered an army of high-society fans and admirers, had made her public debut, setting the stage for Brilliance's success. Invitations were now pouring in, all requesting Selina’s designs. These would be discussed later.

Selina, crouching and watering her plants, phone pinched between her shoulder and ear, spoke indifferently, "You don't sound surprised."

"Ever since I saw what you submitted to Cartier and the Shackled Hearts, I had a hunch. No wonder Mr. Brady had you parachuted straight into Brilliance. The only pity is that we didn't get to take more photos with a celeb like you. Instead, you disappeared, and now all the designers at Brilliance can't focus on work; they're daydreaming about how they didn't suck up to you more to snag your contact info…"

Derrick's grievance was palpable. Selina smiled. "I'll send you an autograph to make up for it." Without hesitation, Derrick replied, "Deal!"